GEOG*3020 - Global Environmental Change
Course Description
This course studies the social drivers of global environmental change and examines how influential governance organizations work in response. The course explores interactions among socio-economic systems, governance institutions, and biophysical processes. Specific attention is given to the causes of climate change and its implications for people and the places they call home.
Note: This course can be taken individually or as a part of a certificate program.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the learner should be able to:
- Articulate the general trends in global environmental changes, along with the mechanisms by which local processes influence global processes and vice versa;
- Identify the factors that influence the vulnerability of a community or a region to global environmental change;
- Build a mental map (cause-effect diagramming) to identify and communicate the complex relationships between social and biophysical systems that influence the vulnerability of a community or a region to global environmental change; and
- Contribute to strategic planning discussions and exercises about ways that a municipality / province / country might respond to global environmental change.
Course Topics
- Overview and Impacts
- Addressing Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation
- Deforestation & Biodiversity
- Desertification & Soils
- Freshwater, Oceans and Marine Fisheries
- Sustainable Development
Additional Requirements
Prerequisite(s): 7.50 credits (GEOG*2210 recommended)
Assessment
| Assessment Item | Weight | Learning Outcomes |
| Evidence-Based Blog Posts (2 x 10%) | 20% | 1, 4 |
| Responses to Blog Posts (2 x 5%) | 10% | 1, 4 |
| Individual Project: Strategic Planning for Global Environmental Change | 30% | 2, 3, 4 |
| Unit 08 Quiz | 15% | |
| Take-Home Final Exam | 25% | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Total | 100% |
Note:
Additional Technical Requirements
This course will use the following:
- Zoom as a video communication tool. A Webcam, a microphone to record video, and headphones/speakers to play back the recording are also needed.
Please view the Technical Considerations.
Applies Towards the Following Certificates
- Certificate in Environmental Citizenship : Electives
- Certificate in Environmental Conservation : Electives
Technical Requirements
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*Course details are subject to change.